Electrical protective device.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

C. E. WHITE. ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9.1906.

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N0- 838,066. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. C. E. WHITE.

ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE DEVICE. APPLIOATIOII FILED JAN. 9. 1905.

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Rye/2Z0 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WHITE, or CHICAGO, LLmois, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK B.

' 000K, OF CHICAGO; ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL Specification of Letters Patent.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906,

Application filed January 9, 1995. Serial No. 240,320.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WHITE, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Chicago, in thec'ounty of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in'Electrical ProtectiveDe: V1ces, of which the. following is a specifica- [and over againindefinitely.

In its present embodiment the invention refers to suchia p otector inwhich the heat.

generatqdduring'i: "he passage of a sneak or other unusually lie'vycurrent over the circoils and their supporting means.

cuit expands the air "ithin' a closed chamber, the expansion of the airmoving'a diaphragm 'to operate a mechanical device to break the allsbelow the temperature at which the pro-' tector is arranged to operate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view of oneembodiment of my invention, portions of the circuit in-which theprotector is included being also shown.

' Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the protector and itssupporting means. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through theresistance 'Fig. 4 is an end view of the parts shown in the lastpreceding figure. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic tector V ew illustrating oneof my protectors inchided in a circuit to be protected, also showingdiagrammatically a signaling circuit in this instance being formed of anupright piece of angle-iron provided with a base ange 2.

3 refers to the cable containing the linewires, 4 to the cable ofswitchboard-wires, to the usual ground connection for thedistributing-board, and .6 and 7 to the line-terminals. Thou h theseline-terminals are exactly alike, st 1 for ease in tracing the circuitssaid terminals W1llb6.dlStiI1gUiShGd each from the other. Each comprisesa screw-threaded rod 8 8 insulated from the distributing-board 1 bymeans of'the twopart insulating-bushings 9 9. Upon the opposite ends ofthe rods 8 8 are binding-nuts 10 10 and 11 11 andbetween the nut 10'.

10 and the bushing 9 9 upon each of said rods is mounted a finger 12 12.At its upper end the finger 12 12 carries a carbon block 13 13', forminga part of a lightningarrester, and at itslower end it is connected withthe line-wire 14 14*. The other carbon. block 15 15 of the lihtning-arrester is se. cured toand electricalIy connected with thedistributing-board 1 by a'clip 16 16. By means of two nuts '17 17 aspring'contactfinger 18 18 is mounted upon each of the screw-threadedrods 8 8 about midway of the length-of said rods. projecting con-.tact-point 19 19 upon said finger is adapted to engage the clip 16 16but is normally held out of engagement with said clip by a detent meansto be described later herein. An angular bracket 20' extends the lengthof the-- distributing-board 1, one flange of said bracket being securedto said board by means of the rods 8 8 and the'other flange beingprovided with a series ofcountersunk openings 21, only one of whichopenings is shown in the drawings. In each of these openings issecured,. in any suitable manner, the body portion of a bell-shapeair-cartridge 22. The arge end or mouth of said cartridge is closed bymeans of a thin metallic diaphragm 23, having a centrally-placed stud 24fixed-to its outer side.

The tubular stem 25 of the air-cartridge is closed at its outer end andis adapted to be surrounded by a metallic sleeve 26. Two

.resistance-coils 27 and 28 are fixed upon said sleeve in any suitableway. A supportingspider 29, of'insulating material, is secured upon thesleeve 26 adjaoent'to the bracket 20 and'carries at the ends of its fourarms four contact-points 30, 31, 32, and 33. The ends of the wireforming the coil 27 are attached to the contact-points 31 and 32,whil'ethe ends of the wire of the coil 28 are attached to the contact-points30 and 33. A

contact-finger 34 34 is secured upon the end of the rod 8 8 adjacent tothe .bracket 20 by means of the nut 11 v11*; but saidfinger. isinsulated from said rod by an insu1ating-bushing 35 35 Each of thecontact-fingers 34 34 is connected, by means of a wire 36 36, with oneof two terminals 37 on the distributing-board 1 for the line running tothe switchboard. Only one of said terminals is shown in the d iwings. Inthe diagram Fig. 5 the numeral 38 refers to said switchboard.Contact-fingers 39 and 40 are secured to the bracket 20, one end ofeachof said springs contacting the contact points 32 and 33 of the spider29. The opposite ends of said springs are bent and cross one another, atthe point of crossing being secured to the stud 24 upon the diaphragm23, but being insulated from each other and "from said stud. Beyond saidpoint of Crossing the ends of the springs 39 and 40 are bent to formhooks 41 and 42 for holding the free ends of the contact-fingers 18 18out of contact with the clips 16 16. The free ends of saidcontactfingers and the ends of the hooks 41 'and 42' v are beveled, sothat said fingers may be readily pushed into engagement with said hooksin closing the circuit after the protector has operated.

In order to provide means for informing the line superintendent or otherperson in charge of the lines of the exchange that the protector hasoperated, I arrange a circuit common to a plurality of protectors, saidcircuit consisting of wires 43 and 44, battery 45, bell 46, and light 47as shown in Fig. 5. The terminals 48 and 49 of the wires 43 and 44 aresuitably supported adjacent to the free ends of the contact-springs 39and 40, so that when said springs are moved by the diaphragm 23 theyshall contact said terminals, and thus close the signal-circuit justdescribed. As shown in Fig. 6, any number of protectors may be includedin the same signal-circuit.

The circuit guarded by the protector may be traced as follows: line 14,finger 12, screwthreaded rod 8, finger 18, spring-linger 40,contact-point 33, resistance-coil 28, contactpoint 30, contact-finger34, wire 36, switchboard 38, wire 36, spring-fmger 34, contactpoint 31,resistance-coil 27, cont act-point 32,

spring-finger 39, contact-finger 1.8, screw.

threaded rod 8*, line 14. The signal-circuit may be traced as follows:battery 45, wire,

43, light 47, bell 46, terminal 49, contactspring 39, contact-point 32,resistance-coil 27, contact-point 31, finger 34, wire 36, switchboard38, wire 36, finger 34, contactpoint 30, resistance-coil 28,contact-point 33, spring-finger 40, terminal 48, line 44 to battery 45.i

. When a current of abnormal strength enters the working circuit,itspassage through the coils 27 and 28 generates sufficient heat to expandthe air confined within the air-cartridge 22. The expansion of the airmoves the diaphragm 23 and the spring-fingers 39 and 40... Being thusreleased the crmtactfingers 18 18 spring into contact with the clips 1616, grounding the working circuit.

The movement of the spring-fingers 39 and 40 also brought them intocontact with the terminals 48 49 of the signaling-circuit, closing saidcircuit and actuating the signals 46 and 47. When the temperature of theair in the air-cartridge 22 falls below the temperature at which theprotector is arranged to opcrate, the diaphragm resumes its normalposition, opening the signaling-circuit. The working circuit may now berestored to operative condition by manually moving the contact-"fingers18 18 into engagement with the hooks 41 42.

Two resistance-coils are provided in order to prevent a sneak-currentupon the line from reaching the switchboard or a heavy current causing ashort circuit upon the switchboard from reaching the instruments on theline. Should the resistance-coils 27 28 be damaged, they may be removed,together with their supporting sleeve and spider, by rotating saidspider to move the ends of its arms out from under the ends of thesprings 34 34 39 40 and a new sleeve, spider, and set of coilssubstituted for the injured set.

It is clear that my improved protector may be used in other connectionsthan that herein shown and that the construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described may be modified in various Ways withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my in vention. I therefore wouldhave it understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the preciseembodiment illustrated, but desire to claim the invention broadly.

I claim. as my invention 1. In an electrical protective device, in

combination, two circuit-openers adapted to be included at differentpoints in a circuit; a detent for each of said circuit-openers; and asingle means for simultaneously operating said detents, saiddetent-operating means comprising a separate actuating means included ineach side of the circuit.

2. In an electrical protective device, in combination, a circuit-opener;a detent for said c-ircuitopener; means for operating said detentcomprising an air-chamber haying a diaphragm; and a resistance-coil incircuit with said circuit-opener, said coll surrounding a portion ofsaid air-chamber.

3. In an electrical protective device, in combination, a circuit-opener;and means for operating said circuit-opener, comprising a bell-shapeair-chamber, a diaphragm for closing the large end of said chamber, anda resistance-coil surrounding the smaller end of said chamber.

4. In an electrical protective device, in combination, two groundconnections; two spring contact members each adapted to complete acircuit through one of said g1 cu nu connections; two delent-springs,one 101' each of said con tact members, said detent- IOK springs formingparts of the circuit and being arranged to move together; anair-chamber,

coil being mounted upon a sleeve adapted to surround a portion of saidchamber and to be removably held with relation thereto.

7. In an electrical protective device, in combination, a circuit-openingdevice; and means for operating said device comprising a bell-sha ieair-chamber and a resistancecoil, which coil is mounted upon a sleeveadapted to surround the smaller end of said air-chamber and to beremovably held with relation thereto.

8. In an electrical protective device, in

combination, two members adapted to be in-v cluded indifferent sides ofa circuit; means for moving said members to break said circuit,comprising an air-chamber and-two rcsistances for heating the air insaid chamber, each of said resistances being connected to one of saidmembers.

9. in an electrical protective device, in combinauion, two membersadapted tobe included in dill'erent sides of the circuit; means formoving said members to open said circuit, comprising an airchamber andtwo resistance-coils for heating the air in said chain.- bcr; a devicecarrying said coils and adapted to be rcmovably secured in operativerelation to said air-chambcr; and means for connecting each of saidcoils to one of said members.

10. In an electrical protective device, in combination, two membersadapted to be included in dill'erent sides of the circuit and beingmechanically connected together; and means for simultaneously movingsaid members to break said circuit, comprising an airchamber, adiaphragm for said air-chamber connectedto said circuit members, and tworesistances for heating the air in said chamber, each of saidresistances being connected to one of said members.

11. In an electrical protective device,, in combination, a' supportingmember; two members forming part of 'the circuit and adapted to lie incontact with eachpther;

means for separating said members comprising an air-chamber supported-by said St ,1- porting member, and a resistance-coil mounted upon asleeve adapted torsmrounda porprotective device, in

X minals.

tion of said air-chamber, said sleeve having a securing projectionthereon electrically connected with said coil, means for securing. saidprojection to said supporting member, and means for electricallyconnecting said projection with one of said circuit members.

12. In an electrical protective device, in combination, acircuit-opening device; a support therefor; an air-chamber supported bysaid support; a heating device adapted to heat the air in said chamber;a member secured with relation to said heating device; and an engagingdevice mounted upon said support and adapted to engage the member fixedwith relation to the heating device, for

supporting said heating device in operative position.

13. In an electrical protective device, in combination, a support;circuit members carried by said support for forming parts of the twosides of a circuit; means for moving certain of said members to breakeach side of said circuit, comprising an air-chamber carried by saidsupport; two resistance-coils; a sleeve for supporting said coils aspider fixed to'said sleeve; terminals on said spider for said coils;and engaging means on said support electrically connected with saidcircuit members and adapted to engage said terminals for holding saidsleeve in position.

14. In a protector-board or similar struc ture, in combination, a boardcomprising two flanges extending at an angle with each other; twoline-terminals mounted on one of said flanges; two switchboardterminalsmounted on the other of said flanges, each of said line-terminals beingelectrically connected with one of said switchboard-terminals; and asingle means for breaking the electrical connection between each of saidpairs of ter- 15. In a protector-board or similarstructure, incombination, a board comprising two flanges extending at 'an angle witheach other;

a switchboard-terminal mounted upon one of said flanges; a line-terminalmounted upon the other of said flanges; a bracket secured to one of saidflanges and supporting a ortion of the circuit; and means supporte bysaid bracketfor opening the circuit upon the passage of an abnormalcurrent.

'16. In a protector-board or similar structure, in combination, asupporting structure carrying line-terminals and switchboard-terminals;an angular bracketsupp orted by said structure and carrying circuitmembers electrically connected with said terminals and adapted tocontact with each other; and means for separating said circuit memberssupported by said bracket.

CHARLES E. WHITE. Witnesses:

L. L. MILLER, GEORGE L. CHINDAHL,

